Praedicator

Verba

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 - Christmas Weekday

[1 John 4:7-10 and Mark 6:34-44]

When Jesus saw the crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat." He said to them in reply, "Give them some food yourselves."

I have often thought about that reply of Jesus' to the disciples when I have been faced with a very big problem that I wished would go away! It's simple, right? Just tell all those hungry people to go to the nearby area (wherever it is) and get something to eat, right? End of story! After all, we have to eat, too, and all we have is five loaves and two fish. Sorry, folks, that's all we have in the sack!
We know that the story doesn't end that way. We know that however Jesus did it, the disciples were given the resources to meet the need. I'm left with the realization that my arguments about what I can and can't do about a big problem are not always the end of the story. My own judgment about those resources can be faulty. In any case, I can't content myself with a short reply just because the resources seem to be small. Once I realize that the Lord has said, "Look again!" I need to look again and get to work. AMEN